


Of Fate and Love

by ArgensHebe



Category: Spartacus Series (TV), Spartacus: Vengeance, Spartacus: War of the Damned
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-28
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-09 19:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/777042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgensHebe/pseuds/ArgensHebe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is Fate's favored sister, so when she is forced to separate bonded souls, she compensates putting them together in another life, when they can attain happiness. But as all people know, Fate can't intervene herself, so she uses tools for achieving her plans. And so, new people appear in others life, and bring them together with their perfect matches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was done before the two last episodes went out, so it's not 100% accurate with how the series went. Also, English is not my mother language, so excuse any error you can see. Thanks for reading!

Even if it was not widely known, Love was Fate’s favorite sister. So when she had to make lovers unhappy in their first incarnation, and they were beholding the truest purest love for each other, Love interfered, and Fate conceded, and gave them another live which they could enjoy on its fullest. 

But Fate does not act if it is not by way of tools. All her life she had known she was a tool of Fate, and that she had a mission to accomplish for Her.

And so, when her parents decided to send her a year to the States to study, in an Exchange program, she went with their wishes and accepted with a smile and good disposition. Fate worked in subtle ways, but the pull she felt pushing her to accept was pretty clear. She would find the reason of her premonitions in the land of freedom.

Sincerely she was excited to go, more so since the place her parents casually picked was California: sun and beach; just so she did not feel really far from her beloved Mediterranean Sea and current life style. She packed her things and embarked in the plane that would get her to her destiny. The family taking her in was going to pick her at the airport, and that’s when she met Naevia.

Naevia was the only child of a happy good-humored couple completely in love with each other, and she could see the close relationship the little family of three had. With two weeks before the term would begin, Naevia and her quickly became good friends. She was pretty convinced that Fate had something to do placing her with that family, but she did not mind; Naevia was funny and quick witted, a strong independent girl and their characters hitted off immediately. 

They were fast to pass to an easy relationship, full with teasing and gossiping; and talking non stop, so much that Naevia’s father smiled and hide behind his newspaper and her mother just rolled her eyes laughing. 

When the term began, she met Mira, Naevia’s best friend. Sweeter than the other, Mira was calmer and less intense than Naevia, but their characters complemented each other perfectly. And she knew, as she knew all those things she probably shouldn’t, that Fate had a hand in uniting them.

She adapted well to high school, she was a Junior along with her two friends, but she had some classes with the Seniors and some with the Sophomores, since levels changed a lot from Europe to the States. She did not have problems making a lot of acquaintances, she was naturally an open person and it was easy for her to talk with people even if she did not know them. 

Halfway through her first month of classes she met Nasir in her photography class, and felt the instant pull to talk to him. And again, she rummaged if the only thing Fate needed her for was to bring some people together. Nasir and her became really good friends, and she could feel a closer relation with him: they had a lot of the same interests and aspirations; they liked a lot of the same things. 

Nasir calm and warm demeanor rapidly endeared him to her. He was one of the kindest people she knew, and his easy laugh and open nature made him well liked around the school. Mira and Naevia accepted Nasir with open arms, and even if they had other friends, the four of them created a tight knit group. 

It was when she had to change one of her language elective classes to the advanced level that she met Agron. German class was funny, even more since she could easily talk it; so when they assigned him to be her partner, and realized he could outtalk her, they started to chat not minding the exceedingly easy lecture the professor was imparting. 

Agron was one of the most popular Senior students in the school. He was one of those jocks that did not stop at football, and played practically all the sports the school offered. It was with delight that she learned he was playing tennis until the football season start; she loved tennis, had practiced it since she was a kid. And with another moment of perfect clarity she understood it was another thing to link her to this tower of a man who offered to play with her.

So she started to play tennis with Agron and to joke with him the whole German class. But since they were few students, and they were talking in German, the professor mostly leave them to their own. Agron helped her with economics, that she hated, and she helped him with history, studying together more often than not. Then, they discovered a mutual passion over rugby and begin to make plans to see the matches and the championships. 

It was not long till the school gossip began to make stories about them, about how they were dating or something similar. She did not pay attention to that. Even if falling in love with Agron would have been so easy as breathing. He was funny and relaxing to be around, always in a good mood, always with a boisterous attitude, joking and ruffling her hair, despite her glares. But still, she knew, with the unexplained certitude of her premonitions, that he was not the perfect man for her, and she was not the ideal person for him. 

So when she introduced him to her friends and saw the smile he directed to Nasir and the shy smile with which her black haired friend answered, she knew it was clear what Fate wanted from her. Those two were made to be together, and she would be the one to make them see. She could be pretty convincing after all. 

Christmas came and went, and she could not return to Europe for the holidays. Still, Naevia’s family made everything possible for making her feel at home, so she did not feel even a bit alone. Of course she missed her parents but the feeling of being just where she should be, filled her with a calm and content feeling. 

After the holidays and the mid-term exams, the rugby Six Nations Championship began and that meant Agron invited them and some of his friends to watch it a his place. According to rugby, it was a complete waste. Between beers and music and people talking and changing channels, Agron and her finished by fleeing to the kitchen, where they could watch the match in the tv there. 

In the half time, Naevia and Mira joined her to talk and Agron and Nasir began one of the endless conversations about nobody knows what that were so typically them. She smirked looking at them, and the two other girls looked to see what had her smiling like that. Agron was relaxed and much more calm that his normal self and Nasir had a happy smile in his face. Understanding downed on their eyes and the three of them crossed a mischievous grin. They were so perfect for each other.

After that day, the rugby matches passed to be a thing strictly between Agron and her. The only people who could join their little tradition were Nasir, because from the very beginning Agron could not say ‘no’ to him, and Agron’s cousin, Saxa. Saxa was a rambunctious blonde, two years their senior. At the beginning, she was a bit shocked by her, being so… intense. But knowing her better, she was the most wonderful person to have around. You could say life was never dull around her.

Months were passing and she met Saxa’s boyfriend, Gannicus. And instantly knew, even if she was not saying anything, that they were not each other match. Gannicus was too easy-going and laid-back and Saxa, well, she was a force of nature. She did not inquired about their relationship, but the blonde herself (and God, that girl had no shame at all) informed her that the sex life was amazing. She remembers blushing madly at the explicits while Saxa cracked up laughing and Agron berated her for teasing. 

Agron and Gannicus had a good friendship, and it was thanks to him that Agron entered a football-scholarship for the same university that the two of them attended and the same football team Gannicus played for. 

Months were passing and an important event made her feel she was finally fulfilling the role Fate had for her. She already knew of Nasir preferences for men, after all, even with the short time they had known each other, she considered him her best friend and she knew he considered her the same. Even with Nasir reserved nature, she knew he was falling, and hard, for the tall green-eyed senior. 

But with Agron, it was not so easy to see; so she made everything possible to give him hints. It was normal to see the three of them together and the speculations were running wild, after all, Agron was somewhat notorious for dating both girls and boys without expressing any preference towards either. 

So when Agron asked her if she though Nasir would accept a date with him, she considered it a personal victory and happily reaffirmed the boy Nasir will be delighted with him asking. So near the end of the term, they started dating, oblivious to the mocking smiles of their friends who had seen it coming long ago. 

The fact that her parents called her two weeks before her time with Naevia’s family was going to end to tell her they had accepted a transfer to the same city she was in, was an unexpected bonus to the end of the term; and she could only react excited. Of course she would miss her friends back home, but strangely – or not so much, Fate considered – she felt a deeper connection with the people she had met that year than with the people from before. She felt like she belonged. 

Summer was exciting; she met Duro, Agron’s three years younger brother who returned from the arts school he was inscribed on the other side of the country. Her parents arrived and she could finally move to their new home. And she started getting prepared to her Senior year at high school while Agron went away to start college. Even if it was just one-hour ride from where they lived, he decided to live on campus and come back for the weekends. 

Nasir of course was sad he was going, but happy for him, even if he was often exasperated by his boyfriend’s apparent lack of concern of what he was going to specialize on. He wanted a Bachelor of Sciences, but nothing more specific. Agron used to say, to the rolling eyes of the black-haired boy, that he would choose half-way to the end of his bachelor. For an organized and meticulous person like Nasir, that was crazy. 

Naevia, Mira and her laughed a lot with those conversations, and the summer passed fast by and the start of the term was a bit sudden for them. They resumed high school pleasantly enough; but that did not last long. Naevia was paired on one of her classes with a guy she did not like at all. When she introduced him to them, Mira and Nasir appeared to think it was a nice guy, but her gut was telling her the guy was bad news. 

In another one of her premonitions she was sure that Ashur was going to cause trouble; so when Naevia started innocently flirting with him, she could not stay put and she just had to tell her. Naevia did not understand, in fact she was perplexed why she would distrust so a person she barely knew. She could only ask her to please, please be careful. At the end it was a good thing she did so since he tried to impose himself to her in their first date; thankfully Nasir was passing by returning from some errands and saw her.

Few people knew, but Nasir had done boxing since he was no more than four years old, so when Naevia put to good use her self-defense classes but Ashur replied even more violently; he lose not time intervening. Not more than five minutes later, a shaken Naevia was in Nasir’s sofa, shocked; Mira running from her house – Nasir and her were practically neighbors – and she picked her motorbike in a rush to get to the place. Nasir explained by phone that Ashur runed away with a broken nose, a bruised arm and a limp; and the girls could not avoid feeling glad for it.

Naevia recuperated well, and she put even more enthusiasm in her self-defense classes, and asked Nasir to teach her boxing. Mira and her joined in the improvised classes, which actually were pretty fun. It was in October when Agron called her to go watch the first match of the Rugby World Cup in a pub near the campus. He was going with some of his teammates, which actually liked rugby, so they would be more than the two of them with Saxa. 

Nasir was coming too, so on the day, they entered in the pub to see a rowdy crowd in one of the best placed tables. She laughed seeing how Agron had his loyal Scotland national team t-shirt, matching her own. Nasir just joked with them faking being offended that his boyfriend matched his clothes to another person. Saxa joined in the teasing, ravishing in her tight t-shirt of the all blacks and sited them, starting to make introductions.

Of course, they already knew Gannicus, but the rest were unknown. The tallest one was called Brictius, and met her with a smile full of teeth, friendly and open, but still a bit scary. The other blond, was called Donar, and he was polite and kind without a fault. The dark haired brooding one was called Crixus and she felt the familiar stirring of a pull that made her convinced of inviting Naevia to the next meeting. 

Between all of them, counting with Gannicus and Agron, she started to feel like some kind of hobbit. Even Saxa and Nasir, that were of normal height towered over her, and she started to feel she had left the Shire or something… Still, it was a really good afternoon. She could not understand how Agron could call Crixus a friend; they were bickering the entire afternoon, disagreeing in almost everything. Even so, something told her it was the way it was supposed to be. Crixus was imposing, that was for sure, she felt a bit intimidated by him, he was short on his conversations and a bit gruff. Still, like always, something made her know that he had a huge tender side, just waiting for the right person to show.

Just a thing put a shadow on the perfect meeting, and that was the tension she could feel between Saxa and Gannicus. Even if she knew with unshakable sureness they were not made for each other, it pained her not seeing them on their normal ease with each other. She was mostly sad for Saxa, she liked her a lot and she was a very good friend. Studying mechanical engineering, she was most of the time surrounded by guys, so maybe she needed a girl’s talk. 

In the half time, and with the bathroom pretext; they separated from the group and she asked if everything was ok. In that moment, she confessed thinking that Gannicus was cheating on her with a girl who, as what she was telling, was the complete opposite of her. They talked most of the fifteen minutes allowed and even if she advised not to jump to conclusions and a long talk between the pair, she also said that they did not seem really a cohesive couple. She told her as she tough, that she needed someone who could equal her character, and stand to her, not passively accept whatever she said like Gannicus.

Saxa was pensive the rest of the afternoon, even if with all the noise around, little of them noticed. On a more positive side, Nasir seemed to have clicked perfectly with the rest, joking and laughing completely at ease with Agron’s arm on his shoulders. And at the end of the match, taking the chance to talk for a bit with the blond without his friends knowing, she told him that the next time she was bringing Naevia, and that she expected his collaboration to pair her up with Crixus. Agron seemed skeptic, but accepted, like he always did with her ideas. 

So the very next weekend, when they met for watching the semi-finals, Nasir and her arrived with Naevia and Mira. She could tell Naevia’s sight was attracted since the first moment to the brooding bearded man. She shared a secret smile with Agron and easily between the two of them paired her with Crixus. It was telling of her instincts how the two started instantly to talk. Agron arranged for the rest of his friends to let them be, and soon, the black haired pair was in a world of their own.

She kept an eye on them and smiled knowingly when Crixus, even when the match started, was ever solicitous to her, explaining the game and the rules. And Naevia’s smile, sweet and radiant, was witness of her happiness. The feeling of satisfaction was like putting two very different pieces of a puzzle together and seeing them match perfectly. And again she started to think that maybe her task was making this people find each other.

Introducing Mira to Saxa and taken aback by how well the seemed to get along, she seated back to enjoy the evening. Later, on the way back home, she laughed with Naevia’s ramble about Crixus and how amazing he was and how happy she was of having met him. She rolled her eyes, because if things went the way she wanted, there will be a lot of those ramblings.

She was not really surprised knowing they talked via messages all day long, and less so to know he asked her out. So satisfied with that, and having appeased the most urgent pull she felt in that moment she allowed herself to relax and enjoy her last year of high school. 

Christmas brought a surprise in the form of an oddly quiet and withdrawn Saxa. It seems that even if Gannicus told her she must not worry with him being unfaithful, she was worried with how he seemed to have won an admirer; a quiet and shy girl, new to the university, that seemed to be in his philosophy class. 

She did everything to help and be there for her, and surprisingly, Mira was even a bigger support. Even if they did not know each other for long, they were really close, and the brunette was an unwavering friend in those difficult times. Hearing the story she could not help but having another of her premonitions, like she had already seen it develop and knew how it ended. 

It seemed that she was not too far from truth concerning the pair. Not long before the Easter holidays, Saxa wrote to them letting them know Gannicus broke up with her. They met a lot of times, along with Naevia, and the girl time seemed to make her good. Still hearing the whole story, she could not avoid being a bit mad with Gannicus.

He liked him, his relaxed attitude, his easy laugh; but she could not find it in her to pardon the fact he cheated Saxa. Yes, he let her because he was falling for other and he had not done anything really, but still, it felt a bit like cheating to her. She knew, because Fate told her, that the two of them would find happiness with other people and will end like good friends.

The fact that he did not began to date the other girl immediately did ease her annoyance at him, so when she met him on a random evening, she could treat him like a civilized person. Gannicus invited her to a coffee and they had a long talk about Saxa. It was one of the good things of being Fate tool, people wanted to open their heart to you. So talk they did, and Gannicus went up again in her opinion seeing how worried he was about her blonde friend.

Still she recommended a talk with her, when it was not so fresh and they were both calmer. And to take his time with the other girl; even if the pull to encourage him to get together with her was making her itch all over the body. Yes, sometimes going against what Fate wanted had consequences. 

So a month later, when Saxa told her that they had talked and stayed as friends; she was relieved. And after subtle and gentle prodding on the issue, she also told her that she would not mind if he started dating the other girl. So, when she found Gannicus again and offered a coffee, she was happy to let go her instincts and give him a peep talk about going for the girl. The happy smile on the blond, knowing that meant Saxa was probably agreeing with it, was enough reward. 

In the meanwhile, Naevia was living the perfect love story with her dear brooding man, as Mira and her had secretly named him. Even if it was a bit sugary at times, it was good seeing Naevia so undeniable happy. It was those two, more than anyone who made her feel so alone. It was all good and fine working reuniting people fated to be together; but it did her ache for finding the perfect person for her too. And in this, not even her gift helped her, since Fate kept zealously secret her own destiny.

Graduation was amazingly fun. Nasir of course, appeared with Agron, repeating after the last year. Naevia was radiant on Crixus arm, and Mira surprised everyone appearing with Saxa, as friends was what they said. But she felt the pull again looking at them and knowing they were meant for each other. She laughed at the revelation, since there was not a more unlikely pair. 

And summer began; it felt amazing, knowing they were not going to separate much. Nasir and her had been admitted in the polytechnic, him the architecture program, her in the engineering, and had plans to find some place to leave together. They were the ones who went the farer, but still it was a few three hours from where the rest were. Mira and Naevia were going to the same college as Agron and the rest. 

The most of the summer, in between trips, beach, sun and just plain relaxing; she passed mediating with both Saxa and Mira, each on their part. It seemed that they started feeling the attraction she had seen since grad day. And they did not know what to do. So it took her some time to convince them to give it a shot, but in the end, they did. She would not like to be there on their first discussion: Saxa was explosive but Mira’s temper was nothing to scoff at. But they were going to be happy together, and she had the advantage of knowing it. Fate did not put people together for them to be unhappy after all. 

University was amazing and Nasir and her adapted perfectly to college life. They met lots of new people, made a lot of friends, the things you could expect on the first days. She could relax after the first days passed and it seemed that nobody there made her feel any kind of premonition, so it was kind of a relief. 

And when she met Melitta, she knew she had talked too soon. However she was grateful to have met her. It was in one of the classes that had a tutor program, and she was assigned to her. Melitta was doing her mastery already, and was one of the most tenderhearted people she had known in her life. She was one of those that made you want to be a better person just by being with you. They became very close, and she could say she considered her one of the best friends she had on the university.

So when she learned that her younger brother was in the same football team as Agron, Crixus and the rest, she invited her to come in the trip Nasir and her were planning for the weekend. Nasir took a liking to her quickly, and the trip was delightful. When they arrived to the campus, the first person they saw was Crixus talking with a tall black man with the body of an athlete. Nasir said hi happily and between him and Crixus they were introduced to Oenomaus, the famed coach of their team. 

She had heard a lot about Oenomaus; from Agron and Crixus, but from Nasir too, since it seemed they went to the same boxing gym and Nasir looked up to him like some kind of paternal figure. Oenomaus was easily ten years their older, but he was in his prime, and his sole presence inspired respect. 

She liked him from the first moment, and watching Melitta meet him, she liked him too. And obviously much more than her. There was a spark there, the same one as with the others, that said the two of them had met their match. They stayed there in conversation until the coach regretfully announced he had to go, it seemed like Melitta was not the only one that felt the spark. 

It was with a lot of coaching from her part that in the following months, she encouraged and coaxed Melitta to date the man, it was a long way, and difficult. But in the end it was worth it, and Melitta had been so ecstatic it filled her with pride. And after Agron’s rapports, their coach has never been in a better mood. 

And just when she tough the problems had ended, Nasir started to get worried. Agron would not stop talking about the new captain, the quarterback of the team; some guy called Spartacus. So much she had to tell Agron to reassure his boyfriend because, frankly, she had her fill of the stories of the man likewise. Agron was quick to answer, outraged, that Spartacus was one of his best friends, and if they were to meet him, they will like him too. 

Talking with Naevia she said she had listen a lot of things about him too, and a lot of ramblings from Crixus when he did not like one of the strategies they were planning. But according to her he was a good guy, and Melitta concurred with her, the two of them being the only ones that knew him, out of the team. So when the day for the beginning of the football season and the first match of the team approached, they decided a big get-together for all of them to finally meet each other.


	2. Unveiling the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, if you are in the middle of watching the series, i should advise this will have spoilers. It's canon till the 8 episode, then... i invented a bit. Thanks for reading!

Nasir stared at his phone, it seemed that his best friend could not come to the match but will meet them later on the celebration (if they won). He returned his eyes to the grades where Mira and Naevia were waiting for him and signaled them to Melitta, who had come with him. It was the first match of the season and they had a meeting afterwards. If he thought of it, it will be the first time all of them were going to be together. And when they will finally meet the infamous Spartacus. He had heard so many things about the man that he felt as if he knew him already. 

He smiled as he kissed both Mira and Naevia, asking how they were. Even if they saw each other almost every other week, it was still weird not to see them each day. He looked when Melitta waved to say hi to her boyfriend, the coach of the team, who returned the greeting with a huge smile, to see if his own boyfriend was looking up. But the players seemed to be in some intense conversation and the match was about to begin, so it would have to wait until later. 

Seeing as Naevia was asking about their missing companion, he turned to her with a smile:

\- She had a problem at home, so she would meet us later at “The Camp” – as they called the bar that had become their meeting point.  
\- Pity, she would have loved the game, after all, it’s almost like rugby.  
\- Don’t let Agron hear you say that – laughed Nasir cheerfully, imagining the frown if his dear boyfriend heard such a thing

The match flew by, and soon they were in the half-time; as the players were revising strategies and they could not go see them, Melitta went to buy some drinks and they stayed together talking animatedly. Looking around, Nasir could not see the blond head he was looking for and had to ask:

\- Mira, where’s your crazy girlfriend?  
\- Saxa is coming afterwards, she texted me saying she was helping Sibyl with something or other – answered the brunette.  
\- Please, explain again that relationship – said Naevia exasperated – I can’t understand how they get along so well!! She’s going out with her ex-boyfriend.  
\- Oh, you know she’s completely cool with her and Gannicus – Mira explained, like if it was a sentence she had said thousand times, and maybe she had – And I think she sees her like a little sister or something.   
\- Well, she’s kind of cute with how shy she is – Nasir reflected.

They had met Sibyl not long after beginning college; and even if she was a year their senior, they all considered her like a kind of little sister. But you could tell she had a benefic effect not only on Gannicus but also on the group in general. She was the calm one, the voice of reason when their ideas went out of hands. 

The match ended without them seeing the two girls. Their voices were rough from all the shouting and screaming. They had won, and it had been a really good game. They could see why all the praise on Spartacus, the man was a really good player, and he had a strategic mind that put the other team in difficulties since the first minute. 

As they started going down to meet their respective pairs, a shout calling them made them turn. Saxa was waving crazily, and kicking people out of her way to get to them; with Sibyl behind, excusing the blonde. They were the most unlikely pair, complete opposites, but it was funny seeing them together, one like a tornado, the other like a soothing breeze.

They greeted them and let Saxa and Mira immersed in a profound kiss, continuing their way to the field where the players where still celebrating the winning, and shaking the other team hands. 

\------------------

Agron, Nasir and Spartacus were the last ones to arrive to the bar. Oenomaus and Melitta had left the field the first ones, with Gannicus and Sibyll. The others, as Nasir could say by looking at their messages where already there. He smiled at the comment Spartacus did and happily engaged in the conversation again.

He had found the man to be a great companion, and liked him immediately. That was joining a growing amount of respect with each thing he learned about him. He was really happy he was Agron’s best friend, since he could see plainly he was a very good person, with high morals, and fierce loyalty. 

He was the first one to enter, finding a place almost directly in front of Crixus and Naevia, who was giving beer glasses to everyone. And then the other two joined him, and Spartacus blue eyes passed on all of them.

Nasir’s hands griped the table till they became white with pressure. Melitta closed her eyes and a tear downed in her cheek. A glass fell of Naevia’s hands and shattered on a thousand pieces. And then Spartacus talked.

\- I would have wished for all us stay unbothered by hard memories. 

All the couples approached each other, Naevia was trembling in Crixus arms, and Nasir and Agron were locked in a tender kiss. Melitta had her face hidden in Oenomaus neck, Saxa and Mira had their foreheads together with eyes closed and Gannicus had Sibyl’s hands in his lips. 

\- Don’t say that, Spartacus – the soft voice of Sibyl shattered the painful memories – The gods have granted us another life to be together. With no pain, no war and no fear. We must be grateful for it.  
\- Yes – the leader said, letting himself fell heavily on his chair – yes indeed, we must be grateful.  
\- It is not the afterlife, but I’m sure I will not complain – the grave voice of Agron seemed to break the solemn feeling, letting all of them smile and chuckle.

It was Mira the one who asked, being the first one to fall. Spartacus told the story with short sentences, and a melancholy tone lacing his voice. He talked about the death of Oenomaus, and the end of Glaber. He talked about the thousands of rebels that joined them after the Vesubius, about Crassus, Sinuessa del Valle, the Cilicians and Caesar. He talked about the flight from the snow and the cold, and narrated the separation of the army. He talked about Agron’s death, Crixus fall and Naevia’s pain. He narrated the games and the demise of Tiberius, Crassus’ son. And then he began with the last battle, and his death.

\- I don’t remember anything after this. Others should enlighten the end. – At this, Naevia and Sibyl looked at each other and Saxa acquiesced with them  
\- It should be Nasir the one to end the story – Naevia said with voice full of grief. Nasir eyes fell shut, keeping the pain away.  
\- You don’t have to – Agron was quick to say.  
\- No, I have – the once Syrian told him with a sad smile – It is in the pass after all. But my story begins not on the fall of Spartacus, but before. You and Gannicus were immersed on the planning for the battle all day and all night; and none of you had time for other things – raising a hand to stop comments, he reassured – I’m not blaming you, it is only so you understand how you could not see it. Naevia… Naevia was with child.

A heavy silence overcame the group, and Crixus picked Naevia’s face between his large hands looking in wonder to the tears filled eyes, only to see that it was the truth. Nasir continued with his story.

\- I noticed it, with Sibyl and Laeta, and I could not let her destroy herself in a battle we knew would be our end. Spartacus, you had enough preoccupations to add this, so it fell to me to plan what to do. You knew Laeta was going to try and escape, she told you herself, and it was her that gave the plan the force to succeed. I prepared a coach and compiled all the money we had from previous battle; it was a hefty sum, enough to sustain a comfortable life. And I told Naevia she had to live if not for her, for the baby. But she was still in shock, so I schemed with Sibyl and Laeta, as they decided they will go with her. Laeta was going to pretend being their domina, traveling alone with two house-slaves and I asked Castus to go with them to protect them – Agron tensed at the mention of the cilician, but could not stop to feel gratitude for all he had done only because Nasir had asked him – So on the eve of the battle, I send them to the coast, to pick a ship to Egypt, where they could live free as they wanted.   
\- Why didn’t you go with them? – asked Gannicus  
\- I did not have a reason to live. Agron was dead, and I would avenge his life spilling Roman blood until the Parcae will call me to them. So I said farewell to them and prepared for battle. As Spartacus said we were greatly outnumbered and pressed in both sides. When I saw him fall, I knew I could not let his body on to Roman hands, so I asked Gannicus and Saxa…  
\- More like ordered – rumbled Gannicus making some smiles appear around the table.  
\- … to pick his body and we retreated for a moment. Just the time for Saxa to put fire to your body while Gannicus and me defended the position. When you were in your way to become ashes, Saxa fell to a spear in her chest. Gannicus was the next, taking with him half a legion it seemed. And then I was alone

Silence fell on the table all eyes not parting from Nasir’s form; full of sorrow and pain. Agron had him practically on his lap and was having a hard time containing his tears. But Spartacus needed to know the end, wanted to hear it, not only for him, but it would do well to all of them, even to Nasir, even when it was so obviously distressing.

\- Nasir, what happened? – his voice was soft and caring  
\- You all have studied history, you know what happened – the Syrian snapped   
\- Nasir, please  
\- We were crucified, all along the Apian Way, all of the 6.000 survivors – Mira and Naevia were crying now, along with Melitta and Sibyl. Agron had hidden his face in his shoulder, Spartacus held his stare, and in his obvious force, Nasir found the strength to continue – Cesar recognized me as the only one surviving that had been high enough in the hierarchy, so he bestowed to me a place of honor, just on the doors of Rome. I was injured in battle, so I died two days later. 

Warm brown eyes closed themselves to the table, and to the memories. Even in another life those remembrances will still hurt him. But he could face them, now, with Agron at his side, with all his friends alive and happy, with a full joyous life with a loving family. His eyes opened when he heard Gannicus talk

\- Please, Sibyl, tell me your story ended better than ours.  
\- The plan was successful – the blue eyed girl answered – Laeta did a marvelous job, and nobody ever suspected us. We boarded a ship that left us in Alexandria and we searched for a house in a nearby city Castus knew of. It was a commerce port, but not really important, so we settled down without difficulties. Naevia left everyone think Castus was his husband, and Laeta settled as a widower. I, for my part, had a chance to enter in the priesthood in a nearby temple. It was a fulfilling life for me.  
\- Laeta married again when years passed by and my son had grown – continued Naevia with the tale – We taught him everything we could, Castus went back to trafficking in the seas, but he always came back, twice a year, to check on us. He too taught him a lot of things. He grew up to be a merchant, and married a sweet girl not long before I passed away.  
\- How was his name? – Crixus voice was broken with emotion  
\- Breno. 

Nothing more was said in a good while. All of them were silent, reflecting on their new memories, and basking in the feeling, even if bitter in this moment, of being all together, alive and free. A waiter came, finally, to clean the shattered glass on the floor and was asked to bring drinks for those who did not have them. 

\- I’m so happy we found each other again – Mira said suddenly.  
\- Yes, luckily we did – Sibyl continued – surely the gods look favorable on us.  
\- Yeah, come on, what were the chances? – Saxa said, knowing perfectly what her girlfriend tried to do – We could be all in different parts of the world!  
\- Or, even if we still were all here, we could have never met – Naevia commented – We wouldn’t have met Nasir if it wasn’t for her.  
\- And I would not have met Agron, either – Nasir said pensively – and then you would not have met Crixus and Saxa and Mira would have never met.  
\- Actually, I do not think I will be going out with Oenomaus if it wasn’t for her either – added Melitta – It is strange, don’t you think, that she put almost everyone of us together.  
\- Yeah, it’s only with Gannicus and Sibyl that she did not have a hand on.  
\- Well – Gannicus looked at Sibyl – You could say she helped me some, too.  
\- Now, I’m curious – Spartacus said with his characteristic somewhat sad smile from the front of the table – I will have to meet this girl you are talking about. It almost seemed to know you belonged together.  
\- Actually, that’s weird – Saxa said – from the first moment she knew Gannicus and I will break up.  
\- Oh!! – Naevia turned to Mira and Nasir – Remember Ashur?  
\- You met that snake?! – roared Crixus – How?  
\- On another time, dear, you’re not gonna like the story – said Naevia distractedly, looking at her oldest friends in the group – It’s weird how she did not like him from the very beginning.   
\- Almost as if she knew!  
\- But I don’t think she knows – said Nasir with his eyes furrowed – it’s just as if she knew our perfect matches. Like if something was telling her…  
\- I knew a woman once capable of doing that – Spartacus voice was full of grief and a painfull hope.

\- Why are you all looking like someone died?

They all turned to look at the owner of the feminine voice. But she could not say anything more; she stayed fixed in a pair of blue eyes. And then she knew. She knew she was once called Sura, and that she loved the man in front of her since forever. A tremble came to her lips even as she smiled, containing tears and she knew Fate had rewarded her with what her heart had most wished for.

\- I told you once you will never love other than me.

That seemed to break whatever spell that had taken place on Spartacus and he swiped her on his arms, lips crashing on them, laugh and tears mixing in a joyful reunion. The happy ending of a story drowned in tragedy, blood and pain. And then he hided his face in the crook of her neck and she felt tears wetting her shirt while a litany of apologies and pleas of forgiveness fell from his lips. She picked his face in her hands, and going on her tiptoes to reach his face she kissed the tears away.

\- I have nothing to forgive you, nothing, understand? What happened was not your fault. We will let the pain behind and live again on this chance given to us. I will not have you away from me again.  
\- Rome on its best could come again to try and separate us and they would fall to ashes before I let it happen.

The sound of her laugh seemed to lift the burden he had taken on his shoulders since so long ago. He joined his forehead to hers and let himself laugh with her. All was alright in the world again, and after an eternity, he felt complete, again.


End file.
